A BookWorm and Cat Lover’s Guide to Tokyo

A BookWorm and Cat Lover’s Guide to Tokyo

Tokyo boasts of a lot of interesting attractions for bookworms and cat lovers. If you are looking for bookish spots to explore or a place to hang out and have coffee with cats, here are just some of the best places to go in the city.

Book and Bed Tokyo
Book and Bed is an accommodation bookshop with two branches in Tokyo – in Ikebukuro and Asakusa. If you have ever imagined getting stuck for the night at the library or bookstore, this place is a dream come true. You can cozy up in the common reading area or in your own sleeping space that is similar to the capsule hotel rooms you can find in Japan.

Cat Cafes
Japan may not be the birthplace of the cat-themed cafe concept, but it has certainly popularized it. All across the country, you will find a wide array of coffee shops where you can chill out with new-found feline friends. Some of the best cat cafes you can find in Tokyo are the Cat Cafe Asakusa Nekoen, Cat Cafe Kyariko Shinjuku, Cat Cafe Nekorobi (Toshima), Hapi Neko (Shibuya), Neko Maru Cafe (near Ueno Park), Nyafe Melange (Shibuya), and Temari no Ouchi (Musashino) among many others.

Gotokuji Temple
Located in a quiet part of Tokyo, the Gotokuji Temple is famous for its many Maneki Neko (beckoning cat doll) statues. The Maneki neko is believed to bring money and good fortune.

Jimbocho
Also known as Tokyo’s book town, Jimbocho is home to over a hundred bookstores. Some of the district’s top bookish attractions include @Wonder (second-hand bookshop with cafe), Anegawa Book Store and Nyankodo (Little Meow Shop), Chiyoda Public Library, Komiyama Book Store, Paper Press Cafe, Sanseido bookstore, and the Kanda Used Book Festival in fall.